The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-19
"CROCKIE BALDWIN"
a Venerable Bird With an Interesting
HISTORY
From the Philadelphia Record.

A Venerable Bird With an Interesting
History.
From the Philadelphia Record.
There is always cordial ''How dye dog
and polite "Good-by," for the visitors to
the bird-houses in the Geological Gardens,
out where the Girard avenue bridge spans
the Schuylldll river 'Crockie Baldwin"
does the honors for the birds, and he has
| quite an extensive vocabulary, which ne
| draws from as occasion requires. "Crocl1ie"
is handsome sulphm-crested cockatoo who
came from Australia many years ago, long
| before the Geological Gardens were thought
| of.
! The bird has quite history, and if he
! were able to relate all he has seen or heard
he would doubtless tell a marvellous tale.
To begin with, "Crockien is about so years
| old, as near as can be ascertained, and is
consequently the patriarch of the strange
and varied colony which inhabits the Gar
den. "Crockien came to this country about
| siXty-five years ago, but who his first owner
| was is not known, and the bird has never
offered to tell, even if he remembers those
years of long ago. Mystery and uncertainty
surround the first twenty-five years of
| "Crockies" American citizenship, but the
last forty years of his life are
familiar to many who have perhaps
forgotten the bird as he passed from
their view. Some forty years ago ''CrocIie"
took up his residence in the Pennsylvania
Hospital and for thirty years he was one of
| the features of the institution. His owner
kept the gates of the hospital, and "Crockie"
| sat on his perch in the little house at the
gate, and day after day, year in and year
| out, he watched the passers by. Patients,
nurses, physicians students and visitors
came beneath his view as he sat there. To
| all who passed 'Crocl1ien croaked a CHEEKY
| ''How dye dos" and a courteous Goodbye
and many stranger passed through the
| gate wondering who had hailed him. More
than one poor and friendless patient, dis
charged after weeks of suffering, went out
| into the busy streets of the city bearing with
| him remembrances of a kind "Good-by,"
which followed him as he passed through the
gates,
''Crockie" was ever an intelligent and OBJ
serving bird He took much interest in the
| students as they passed and repassed his
| perch, and the students manifested an equal
friendship for him. From time to time he
WAS instructed in the art of speech by them,
and mary of the phrases which form his
vocabulary came from that source. And
! thereby hangs a tale-a tale OF fun for
| "Crockie" and the boys, but which wound
up with sad loss to the bird.
HOW "CRoCKIE" LOST AN EYE.
'Crockie Baldwin" looks out upon the
world through but one eye. His right orb
is sightless and it has been many a long
year since he has enjoyed the use of that
| eye. There is a tradition which explains
the Disagreement after this manner: His
master, who had grown old in his service at
the hospital gate, grew bibacious as the
years rolled on, and the result of his tipping
afforded much sport to the young medical
| students. Often as they passed they twitted
| the old man on his love for the bottle, and
now and then ungracious comment was
passed in the shape of ''the old mans full
again." ''Crockie" took in the situation,
and, it would seem, silently made up
his mind to have a hand in the fun.
Oft repeated in his presence his ready in
! telligence caught the phrase the students
| used, and one day he stBrtled the old man
| by croalzing in almost human tones, "Old
mans full again" Surprise was not the
| only emotion which was excited in the old
man by this unlocked for assertion, and in
his anger he made at the bird, who fled
across the lawn. ''Crockie" was caught and
in the rough handling he received his Tght
| eye was injured so that its sight was ruined.
| Poor "Croczien was effectually cured of his
desire to poke fun at the old man, and in bis
subsequent life at the hospital gate he
| fought shy of the students.
PRESENTED TO THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY.
Eight years ago, or thereabout, the old
| gate-keeper died, and the bird fell into the
hands of fancier. A life OF vicissitude
was the lot of the bird for two years, and he
passed from hand to hand until he attracted
the attention of Mr.. Cox, of Germantown.
Mr.. Cox took a fancy to the bird, learned
| his interesting history, bought him for $50
and gave him to the Geological Society. Six
| years have been added to the many which
| have passed over "Crockie's" head since he
joined the feathered colony in the Gardens,
and he has amused and interested
thousands of visitors. He is a privi-
legged character, and occupies perch
of his own in the centre of the bird
house. A cage is an indignity from
which he is exempted, and the only restraint
placed upon him is light chain which pre-
vents his leaving his perch. There he sits
throughout the day, busying himself in at
tending to the many visitors, for most of
whom he has a word of greeting and fare
well. When his keeper comes along he ven
lures upon a more extended conversation,
saying very plainly: Had your BREAKFAST
Come to supper and a number of other
phrases. One of ''Crockie'sn chief enjoy
ments is walk along the railing in front of
the cages in the bird house--a privilege oc-
casionally granted by the keeper. Crawling
along from cage to cage the bird pauses be-
fore each, and with polite bow to his less
privileged mates behind the wires, he calls
he sings out ''Good-by."
'Croclien knows how to laugh with an
almost human jollity, and hugely enjoys
the operation. He prefers, however, TO
laugh alone, and if stranger essay to join
him his mirth changes suddenly to wrath,
and deafening and discordant screech abb
ruptly changes the fun. II is a singular
fact that the other cockatooS are very Jeal-
Gus of "Crockie," and if they think be is re-
ceiving too much attention they unite in
series of such deafening yells that the visi-
tors are glad to beat hasty retreat.
Another of his favorite pastimes is play.
ing with the cat that forms one of the
happy family in the bird-house When
visitors are few and far apart "CTockie"
begins to whistle and calls "Puss, Puss," in
persuasive voice that generally brings out
the cat if it be within hearing distance. A
strong bond of friendship exists between
these two old inmates of the establishment,
-Four score years weigh heavy upon man,
but 'Crockien appears not to feel the bur
den of his age Although be has passed the
allotted years of man his limit is yet fifty
or sixty years in the future so the natural
lists say. Other generations may yet be
I..v